


Family stories

by LaPlume2Azure



Category: Die Hard (Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:15:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28946511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaPlume2Azure/pseuds/LaPlume2Azure
Summary: As he gathers his whole family for dinner, John McClane receives a visit from a young man named William Garber. Indeed, Garber is interested in the lieutenant's exploits, and especially in his confrontation with the Gruber siblings. But is this really the motivation for his arrival?The characters in the Die Hard movie franchise are not mine. Only William Garber is a character of my creation.
Relationships: Holly Gennaro/John McClane, Matt Farrell/Lucy McClane
Comments: 6





	Family stories

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Histoire(s) de famille](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26124697) by [LaPlume2Azure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaPlume2Azure/pseuds/LaPlume2Azure). 



**This July 16 in New York promised to be a beautiful day for John McClane.**

**Not only was the weather impeccable with bright sunshine with a little fresh wind, but he was with his family and friends around a good meal discussing several topics:**

"So like that, the Nakatomi company appointed you as the director of international relations? Amazing!" **John smiled.**

"According to the CEO, this is the reward of twenty years of good and loyal service within the company ... and it is also the position that I dreamed of obtaining!" **Holly confessed.**

"You well deserve it, Mom!" **Lucy** **tenderly** **told** **her.**

"You fought for it: no wonder your efforts paid off!" **Jack added.**

"Coming from Mrs. McClane, that doesn't surprise me!" **Zeus joked, drinking his glass of beer.**

"And if not, do you have any news from Los Angeles?"

"Oh, well: Al has been promoted to deputy in his section; Argyle has his own chauffeured limousine company ... In other words, everyone is fine!"

"I am delighted..."

"What about you, Mr. Carver? What's happening to your store?" **Matt asked.**

"Thank goodness, business is going well at the moment."

"What about your nephews?" **John asked.**

"They are doing well: the older one is finishing his last year of law school, and the younger one is helping me in the store ... I think he will be the one to hand over the store when I'll retire!"

"You retired? In my opinion, it's not going to be sad!" **Lieutenant McClane laughed.**

"Speak for yourself: I can imagine you in a retirement home, driving the nurses nuts!"

**They all burst out laughing as they imagined a very old John trying to escape in a wheelchair, chased by doctors and nurses.**

**Suddenly there was a knock on the door.**

"Were you expecting someone?" **Holly asked.**

"No, not really ..." **John replied, instinctively reaching for his gun.**

"Hey, calm down: maybe it's just a commercial!" **his daughter calmed him down.**

"I am going to open !" **Matt said as he got up from his chair and walked towards the entrance to the house.**

**When he opened the door, he found a young man taller than himself, well dressed and holding a small briefcase. The stranger asked him politely:**

"Hello, excuse me for disturbing you, but am I at Lt. John McClane's home?"

**Puzzled by the question, the ex-hacker replied:**

"Uh ... Yes, it is there! Don't move!"

**Turning inward, Matt asked:**

"John, this man wants to see you. Shall I let in?"

**The policeman thought for a few seconds then answered:**

"Go ahead, he can come!"

**Matt did so, showing the way to the unknown visitor who entered:**

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I hope I don't fall at an inopportune time ..."

"Oh no, not at all: we were going to stop by the cafe! **" Holly reassured him.**

"Do you want one ?" **Lucy asked.**

"I accept with pleasure, thank you."

"I'm taking care of it !" **Jack replied, got up from the table, and walked over to the coffee maker.**

"I don't remember hearing your name, sir ..."

"Oh sure: where have my good manners gone? Let me introduce myself: William Garber, a correspondent journalist for Der Spiegel, a German newspaper!"

"An interesting profession, although I have a hard time with some of your fellows ..." **Holly grimaced, remembering her feud with nosy Richard Thornburg.**

"I understand you: most of them blithely exceed the limits ... But I did not come this way to tell you about my dishonest colleagues. The reason for my visit is that I would like to write an article on the exploits of your husband. "

"An article on John? Wow: amazing!" **Zeus exclaimed.**

"Even I can't believe it ... Yet there is nothing to ignite: I just did my job!" **defended the person concerned.**

"Don't be modest, daddy: you still prevented mad people from blowing things up. It wasn't just any cop who would have done that!" **Jack replied, returning from the kitchen with cups of coffee for everyone.**

"Your son is right, Lieutenant: you have shown great courage to accomplish all of this. And I would like to interview an American hero who fascinates Europeans ... Would you do me this privilege, Mr. McClane? "

**Shrugging, John replied:**

"Let's go, then. It wouldn't be okay to send you home after all the way you've come ..."

"Thank you very much."

**Garber took out his notebook and pen:**

"Okay, with that, we'll be able to start ... oh, and your guests can join in if they have any additional information!"

**The interview began with a few basic questions before digging deeper into the various adventures that John found himself in, often despite himself. However, John couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't seen this young man somewhere before. He didn't know why, but this Mr. Garber seemed familiar to him ...**

**He was interrupted in his thoughts by Holly, who asked:**

"Are you married, Mr. Garber? I noticed the ring on your ring finger!"

**Louis looked at his hand and replied with a smile:**

"Yes indeed. Sophia and I have been married for three years now!"

"It's a beautiful thing ... Do you have children?"

"A little boy, Leo. He's three months old!"

"A young daddy, I see ... Enjoy him for as long as possible: they will grow up way too fast!" **Holly told him gently.**

"The proof: I'm completely overwhelmed with these two!" **John joked, pointing to his children.**

"YOU ARE TOO SLOW!" **Jack and Lucy replied with the same malice.**

**The conversation continued, and John lent himself to the many questions of the young reporter. Then William said:**

"Well, I have enough to make a good article. Oh, but I think about it before I finish: there is a point on which I would like to linger ..."

"Which ?"

"Your confrontation with the brothers Hans and Simon Gruber."

**At this moment, a multitude of images invested jumble in the mind of John. Memories marked by the hellish machinations of these sinister siblings from Germany ...**

"Uh, okay ... But why in particular these two?"

"Let's say they still have some notoriety in Germany ... and many would like to know more about the man who defeated them!"

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't know Hans ... But Simon, he was a crazy man: I thought we're going to die because of his bullshit! He almost blew up my nephews !" **Zeus asserted.**

"There was no bomb in this school, I already told you!" **McClane replied.**

"I had to deal with Hans ... And believe me: this man, he gave me the impression of being the devil incarnate! I can still see his eyes ... black as death!" **Holly whispered.**

"My brother and I have never dealt with the Grubers, but we know enough to know that they were dangerous in the extreme!" **Lucy explained.**

"Although the Komarovs, father, and daughter, were pretty nuts in their genre!" **Jack pointed out.**

"And I thought Thomas Gabriel was the most dangerous ..." **Matt muttered.**

"I see ..." **William whispered, scribbling in his notebook.**

"Tell me a little, Mr. McClane, in your opinion: who was more fearful? Hans or Simon?"

**This question surprised John a little, who was silent for a long time to think about it ...**

"That's a good question you ask me, Mr. Garber: both were dangerous, intelligent, charismatic, cultured, liars ... To be honest, I would say whoever terrified me, it's Hans: probably because I knew he would never keep his word, except when it came to threatening to kill a hostage. Mr. Joe Takagi paid the price ... "

"Yes, I remember that story. The family of the deceased holds you in high esteem for that matter ..."

**John gave a bitter smile:**

"Yeah, even though I couldn't save him ..."

"Don't blame yourself: you did your best!" Holly reassured him.

"But tell me, Mr. Garber ..." **Zeus asked.**

"You can call me William ..."

"William, I'm starting to wonder why you're interested in these two weirdos in particular: do you know them?"

"Huh? Of course not: I told you, these two terrorists are very well known in Europe, and especially in Germany, because their diametrically different backgrounds have made them symbols of organized crime on both sides of the Wall. . "

"How do you know that?"

"Oh, it's not very complicated: I did my research!"

"I don't mind, but this information is confidential: everything I learned about Simon, I read it in a file that a guy from the FBI gave to me. And that I know, it is not fallen into the public domain ... " **pointed out McClane.**

**John saw William turn slightly pale as if he had just touched a sore spot. He went on to ask:**

"How do you say William in German?"

"John, what are you talking about?" **his wife asked.**

"I don't think this gentleman is a real journalist…" **Jack replied.**

"Huh? What do you mean, he's not a real reporter?" **Matt asked, lost.**

**William replied calmly:**

"Yes, I am a journalist, and I even have my press card to prove it to you."

**To prove his point, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a plastic card with the following words written on it: _William Garber, correspondent journalist. Der Spiegel._ **

"It's genuine ... he's a real journalist!" **replied Lucy, who had inspected the card.**

"So, why is he so interested in the Grubers?"

"That's why I asked him how to say William in German, and I haven't heard the answer yet!"

**There was a silence, then William replied with a slight German accent:**

"We say Whillem!"

"Since when does he have an accent?" **Zeus asked, disturbed.**

**With these words, William turned to John and fixed his dark gaze on him:**

"I have had this accent since I was little because I was born in Germany."

**It was then that John understood: that intense gaze, capable of reading your soul as in an open book, and which could be as friendly as a murderer ... He felt scared. Terrified, to be honest...**

"Is everything okay, John? Looks like you saw a ghost…" **Matt asked.**

**In shock, the policeman stammered:**

"So like that, you are ... one of them ..."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" **Lucy asked.**

**Zeus turned to William and understood what was bothering his friend: that's why this guy seemed familiar to them ...**

"You knew them, didn't you? The Grubers?"

"Indeed."

"But who are you ?' **Lucy asked.**

"My name is not William Garber, as your father rightly understood. My true identity is Whillem Ludwig Gruber."

**Silence fell in the room before Matt let go:**

"Another Gruber? But what do you all have against John?"

"I have nothing against Lieutenant McClane if that's what bothers you ..."

**Coming to his senses, John asked:**

"So, what do you want from me?"

"The truth is ... I wanted to know the man who threw my uncle off the 32nd floor of Nakatomi Plaza and had my father charred in a helicopter."

"But of course: you're Simon's son! I should have seen him: you look like him ..." **Zeus exclaimed, slapping his forehead.**

"That's what my mother also says ..."

"I wonder what she could have found him ..." **Matt quipped before changing his mind at the murderous look Whillem gave him.**

" _Halt die Klappe_! (Shut up)!"

"Calm down!" **Holly said firmly.**

**When calm returned, she turned to Whillem and asked:**

"How about you tell us why you were so keen to meet John?"

**The young man let out a long sigh before grabbing a wallet and handed it to Holly.**

**She opened it, finding a picture of a young auburn woman smiling at the camera while holding an infant in her arms.**

"Are these Sophia and Leo?"

"Indeed, but it's not the only photo in my possession. Look in the large pocket ..."

**Ex-Miss Gennero did so and came across another photo that was a little older. On this one, we saw Simon Gruber holding a little boy in his arms. The two of them smiled at the camera.**

"I never imagined Simon in a situation like this…" **John whispered, surprised.**

"I was 5 years old in the photo. The following year, my father was killed on American soil. At the time, my mother didn't say anything to protect me. But when I was 20 years old. , she explained everything to me: the real activity of my father and my uncle, their crimes ... and their deaths, at the hands of the same man ... "

**He paused a few seconds before continuing:**

"At first, I tried not to think about it again. But every time I thought about my father, your name kept coming up ... And then, I decided to make the trip to meet you, to see the last one who knew my father alive ... "

"So you don't want to avenge your father?" **Lucy asked.**

"Oh no: I don't want to be the next Gruber to be on John McClane's hunting chart. But to be completely frank, I wanted to check something with you, John ..."

"What ?" **asked the person concerned.**

**Biting his lip, Whillem asked, his voice shaking slightly:**

"I wanted to know if ... My father was really the coward and the monster we are talking about ..."

**The distress in the young man's eyes had a strange effect on the policeman. Definitely, this one was not a Gruber like the others. But he had to admit that Whillem had no hostile intentions towards him and that deep down, there was this little boy who could not mourn his father ...**

"John? I think this young man is waiting for an answer…" **Holly whispered.**

**Coming to himself, McClane replied:**

"Honestly, whether it was your uncle or your father, both gave me a hard time and were top criminals looking to make money ... But Simon, a coward? I don't think so. If it was the case, he would have put a real bomb in this school, but he didn't. Hans, on the other hand, would not have hesitated to kill innocent young people. "

**He looked up at Whillem and continued:**

"I don't know if what I'm telling you will bring you any comfort or at least the answers you expected. But you have to know that your father had a minimum of honor that your uncle will never have."

**Nodding, Whillem whispered:**

"That was what I wanted to know ... Now I would know what to say to Leo when he asks me about his grandfather ..."

"You will have time to find your words ... And you will find them!" **Holly answered tenderly, holding out the wallet.**

"I hope so."

**He got up from the table and lowered his head slightly:**

"I wanted to thank you for the time you have kindly given me: it was an honor to meet you all."

**With that, he turned on his heel and was about to leave when John held him back:**

"Hold on !"

**Puzzled, the young man turned around:**

"What is it?"

"I wanted to tell you that ... I congratulate you for wanting to break the infernal circle that binds your family to me. In my opinion, you have the right to make your own choices that are not dictated by the family vendetta, and I will wish to succeed! "

**Whillem smirked:**

"Thanks, Lieutenant McClane."

**He walked out of the room, leaving John and his guests still in the surprise of the day. Then Jack spoke again:**

"What do you think he'll do?"

"I know the family: he will do what his instinct tells him. But unlike his father and his uncle, he aspires to be at peace ... All the best I wish him!"

**Family stories are the hardest to undo. But it only takes an effort for them to become peaceful and allow the heirs to flourish. A lesson that John and Whillem had learned today ...**

**Author's Note:**

> The faceclaim of William Garber is Max Irons


End file.
